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Fair Trade News
Up one levelCoop Coffees participates in Fair Trade Panel
In the current Fair Trade market, as box stores move in and companies all claim a stake in corporate social responsibility, the consumer is often left with confusing or mixed messages as to which claim or label is "legitimate." With all the different definitions of "fair" and "responsible," it's quite the challenge for businesses to know what they want to be associated with and for consumers to know what to trust. In a discussion hosted by a local NGO in Montreal, key actors of the Fair Trade and responsible consumption movements -- Coop Coffees included -- addressed these issues and the various perspectives at play.
World Fair Trade Day reaches thousands!
Every year, Fair Traders all over the world join forces for "World Fair Trade Day." This year, May 9 was the special day and the Fair Trade Resource Network worked very hard to organize and promote the largest FT Coffee Break in North America. They surpassed their lofty goal of 55,000 participants and successfully reached thousands of consumers all over the continent! Congratulations FTRN and keep up the good work!
Peace Coffee launches mapmybeans.com
A key principle of Fair Trade is traceability; the consumer should be able to follow the path of a delicious cup of joe, bar of chocolate, or sprinkle of sugar back to the farm and coop behind the product. Peace Coffee recently launched a bright, fun, user-friendly website for people to dig deeper into their daily brew and learn about where the coffee comes from and who produces it.
FTF elects its 2009 Board of Directors
Earlier in May, the Fair Trade Federation - the association of dedicated Fair Trade organizations in North America - held elections for their 2009 Board of Directors. They've posted the results and we're thrilled to see that Coop Coffees' own Monika Firl will be joining the other new and remaining members for what will surely be a productive and collaborative year of Fair Trade!
Cadbury commits to Fair Trade
Cadbury, the British company responsable for the U.K.'s top-selling chocolate bar (the Dairy Milk) has announced that they will increase their purchases of Fair Trade certified cocoa to 15,000 tonnes by summer 2009. The company is jumping on the Fair Trade bandwagon that has caught the attention of many big shot coffee and chocolate companies. They've set up a blog devoted to the "Cadbury Cocoa Partnership" -- the name they've given their initiative to enter the Fair Trade market. Below, an article from BBC News gives further details of the announcement.
NPR features Fair Trade
It's not often that Fair Trade takes the spotlight in mainstream news and media. On April 20, NPR broadcasted a short report about Fair Trade on their popular program "Morning Edition." After recent announcements from chocolate kings Mars and Cadbury that they will buy cocoa sourced with "certain environmental and labor standards" in practice, NPR examines the movement and its potential drive into more mass-marketed arenas.
Uplifting documentary challenges preconceptions
Tortuga Films, a local Quebec independent film company, recently released a poignant and charming film that features the stories of three children living in farming cooperatives in Central America. "Campesinos...la terre nous va rester" (we will inherit the earth) has gotten much attention in Quebec, entering a number of film festivals and won a couple of local awards in filmmaking. The film was featured in the Quebec film festival in February by the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal and was sold out within minutes of the ticket booth's opening.
IFAT becomes WFTO
During the IFAT annual general assembly held in Sri Lanka in October 2008, the decision was made by a 91% majority to change the organization's name to World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). The following article appears on the WFTO's newly revamped website in February and the organization will be in a period of transition over the next several months.
World Fair Trade Day
Coop Coffees is a proud sponsor of World Fair Trade Day (WFTD), an international celebration of Fair Trade. This year’s events will be taking place in over 80 countries worldwide and in North America, Fair Traders plan on breaking the record number of participants (50,000!) in the Fair Trade Coffee Break! The theme of this year’s World Fair Trade Day is Everything is better when it’s fair.
Obama and Fair Trade
As the newly inaugurated President of the United States steps up to the plate to fill one of the most powerful positions in our day, the world anxiously awaits to see what will become of his ambitious plans – and promises – for change. Promoters of Fair Trade are just as eager to see what will become of Obama’s rhetorical shift towards fairer and more equal terms of international commerce.
The Verdict is Out; FLO Releases its Results
In December, the Board of Directors at FLO met to vote on a series of revisions in their Fair Trade standards. The revisions were the product of nearly two years of consultation, discussion, and review. As the world of Fair Trade expands, it’s only natural that certifying bodies review the standard norms and seek to improve them where necessary. Now, the verdict is out and although we might have hoped for see steps towards more radical change towards greater producer empowerment in the basic framework, we are pleased to see - at the very least - that FLO recognizes the need for intentional review.
FLO reviews Business Model
Nearly 10 years into its development, FLO has fallen increasingly under scrutiny as actors in the world of Fair Trade are becoming more and more wary of the organization's commitment to the well-being of small-scale producers. In response to the criticism, FLO has recently agreed that change should happen...now we all wait with eager anticipation to see how their plans unfold.
The Credit Crisis and Fair Trade
The "tsunami" of financial troubles that has ripped through Wall Street and sent panic and fear into Main Street poses several tough questions and situations for the Fair Trade business. In a commentary released in September, authors at Fair Trade Federation notify readers of the direct impacts of the crisis as well as advice for those involved in Fair Trade businesses.
IFAT's Standard: Grassroots Alternative?
IFAT believes that “a modern, voluntary, worldwide standard is needed to identify and define the rules of Fair Trade.” In August 2008, IFAT announced a new certification process (SFTMS) that is expected to help FTO’s differentiate themselves further from conventional buyers and sellers by providing the “seel” for corporate social responsibility. They’ve posted a series of notes and explanations on their website and have invited the public to comment on the Standard’s draft.
Response to a Fair Trade Naysayer
An unfortunate, although increasingly common response to new, against-the-grain ideas (like Fair Trade) is the outcry from skeptical naysayers who’d prefer to put a stop to anything that challenges their view of the world. So, with Fair Trade gaining momentum worldwide, more folks have started paying attention to it, which also means that more people are looking for an excuse to call Fair Trade “bad”.
Alternative Trade Networks and the Coffee System
August 12th, 2008 article from WorldChanging discussing "Confronting the Coffee Crisis", a collection of papers about coffee and fair trade by Christopher M. Bacon (Editor), V. Ernesto Méndez (Editor), Stephen R. Gliessman (Editor), David Goodman (Editor), Jonathan A. Fox (Editor).
Will Coffee Be a Casualty of Climate Change?
CoopCoffee's member roaster Dean from Dean's Beans isn't staying quiet about the potential threat that climate change poses to coffee production all over the world. In his blog published in "The Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire," he uses the personal experiences and stories of farmers who are forced to deal with the volatile effects of global warming and the various ecological abnormalities that go along with it.
Is Fair Trade Becoming 'Fair Trade Lite'?
Some proponents say the adjustments needed to bring companies like Wal-Mart and P&G aboard warp the goal of helping small farmers. Must standards for certification be lowered for Fair Trade to have any chance of entering the doors of multimillion-dollar corporations like Walmart? Do the necessary compromises undermine the very nature and essence of the movement? Here's a thought-provoking article about the next step for Fair Trade as it makes its debut in the world of big-box stores and mainstream markets. Business Week article by Pallavi Gogoi June 18th, 2008.
Now I know we’re in a recession
When the economy starts to hurt Starbucks, I know we’re in trouble. Fortunately, Dean’s Beans is still going strong, so there is some hope. For those of you who don’t know, Dean’s Beans started the fair trade movement in coffee and makes a variety of fair trade and organic roasts that put Starbucks to shame (both in terms of taste and corporate policy).
Black Gold: How Fairtrade put the cream into Uganda's coffee
A fascinating, in depth look at the story of coffee trade in Uganda during Idi Amin's terrifying reign, and the beginnings of Fair Trade in the country with UK-based company, Cafédirect.
